The plague death toll is rapidly increasing in Madagascar but could the epidemic spread to the nearby African continent?

The African countries which are on high alert are South Africa, Seychelles, La Reunion, Mozambique, Tanzania, Kenya, Ethiopia, Comoros and Mauritius.

The World Bank has released the extra funds for a war chest to battle any outbreaks, with the cash paying for fuel for ambulances and disinfection teams.

Health protection professor Paul Hunter, from the University of East Anglia, told MailOnline “The big anxiety is that it could spread to mainland Africa, it’s not probable, but certainly possible, that might then be difficult to control.

“If we don’t carry on doing stuff here, at one point something will happen and it will get out of hand control cause huge devastation all around the world.”

Outbreak of Black Death plague kills 127 people in Madagascar with more than 1000 affected

The disease has struck the island nation with a vengeance, infecting at least 1,800 people - three times the expected amount - and killing 128 so far in 2017.

And officials are warning that the annual All Saints Day, taking place today could trigger a spike in cases as people gather to honour the dead.

Professor Jimmy Whitworth, an international public health scientist at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, says the outbreak could continue to worsen as the disease has exploded in capital Antananarivo and is now spreading to coastal cities.

Speaking with the Mail Online, he said: “Madagascar is the most plague-endemic country in the world and has outbreaks every year at about this time, this outbreak though is the worst for 50 years or more. “

The airborne pneumonic plague, which has been responsible for the most of the deaths this year, is spread through coughing and sneezing.